Seitan pot pie

I got my cast iron skillet back and made a seitan veggie pot pie.  The crust is whole wheat, and on the whole, it is rather dry.  I think I will try a crust recipe with all purpose flour next time.  The filling was good, but there didn't seem to be quite enough of it.  Or the crust was too thick.  But it was still good.

The Day I Met Jesus: The Revealing Diaries of Five Women from the Gospels

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25007056-the-day-i-met-jesus" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Day I Met Jesus: The Revealing Diaries of Five Women from the Gospels" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1440096632m/25007056.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25007056-the-day-i-met-jesus">The Day I Met Jesus: The Revealing Diaries of Five Women from the Gospels</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/96732.Frank_Viola">Frank Viola</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1356717231">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This book fleshed out five women who personally, directly encountered Jesus. It looks at the Biblical events from the female point of view, particularly that of first century women. For all the progress we've made toward a more egalitarian relationship between the sexes, it is obvious that even in the most enlightened parts of the world, we have a long way to go. First and foremost, Jesus approached these women as human beings, created in G-D's image, and a delight to Him because of that. He also held the men who accused accountable for their actions, something pretty much unheard of in the first century CE. I think what stands out more than anything else is Jesus' love and his justice and mercy. Justice without mercy is brutality. Mercy without justice cannot exist. I felt I became closer to Jesus through these five accounts. Thank you to the authors for a wonderful read.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/45412382-patricia-a-sj-berg">View all my reviews</a>

Even if you are not Christian, this is a good read.  I think the one thing we sometimes forget is that, when we encounter Jesus, he offers forgiveness, but he also asks of us accountability for our actions.  We are called to be like him, and that scares most people.  Because it is personal.  It is not a political agenda, it isn't "those people" ruining society - we are called to PERSONAL ACCOUNT for what each of us does.  Jesus is, in fact, one scary dude.

Chickpea and Broccoli Casserole

It has been a while since I posted.  I had gotten out of the habit of cooking at home, sad to say.  Well, I'm back with a vengeance... with Vegan With A Vengeance, that is.  Tonight's new recipe is Chickpea and Broccoli Casserole.  From what I can gather from the ingredients, it not only will taste great hot, but it will also make some great sandwiches.  So, anyway, I'm trying it.

Looks pretty good, I think.  I made the spicy version, adding onion powder, thyme and a  few red pepper flakes.  I think if I make it again, I will puree the chickpeas in my food processor.  I will also chop the broccoli a bit finer, as well.  That way, the consistency will hold moisture a bit better, and the final product will not be quite so dry.  I do like the taste of it, for sure.  I am thinking perhaps adding some water chestnuts, or perhaps a few chopped walnuts?  It is pretty filling, and I think one serving of this is pretty much a complete meal. 

New interests

Life is renewing itself.  I have discovered an interest in Christian theology.  Reading a lot of Biblical commentaries.

I'm also discovering I enjoy photographing my cats.  A couple of them even pose.

Simple vegetable Soup

2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups vegetable juice (tomato based, like v-8)

1 large potato, peeled & diced

2 medium carrots peeled and diced

1 summer squash diced

1 cup frozen green beans

1 cup mixed vegetables. Amounts of vegetable may vary

1/2 onion quartered and sliced

Place all ingredients in soup pot.  Bring to a boil. Cover and  Simmer for about 30 minutes.  Reduce heat further and cook, covered for about 45 minutes.

Mac and cheese - vegan of course

It has been a while since I wrote anything here.  I had surgery on my right knee on December 16th, 2014, and am in recovery.  For a while I didn't do much in the kitchen.  But I'm back, and blogging about my culinary misadventures.
My son Brian came up with a recipe that is easy-peasy, and sates my craving for mac & cheese: 

Make the cashew cheese from the book Isa Does It:  (the original recipe this is found in is here)


White sauce:
1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
3/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch

I usually just use my blender to make this.  And instead of water, I use vegetable stock, or vegetable broth.  It makes it a bit tangier, and more cheese-like to me.

Cook the pasta of your choice (I like small shells) according to package directions.  I would use about 2 cups of dry pasta.  Drain.  Then, in a greased casserole dish, mix the pasta with the white sauce until all pasta is coated.  Top with Daiya cheddar flavor shreds, or shredded Teese, whichever you prefer. 

Bake at 350ºF for about 25 minutes.  Take out of the oven, cool a bit, and EAT!